Chasing Lights 2: Anatomy of a Romance
by lawless
Summary: Sano and Megumi ... falling in love.
1. Chapter 1

**Chasing Lights 2: Anatomy of a Romance**

 _by lawless_

* * *

Inception.

* * *

Sano took a train to his hometown the next morning. He told friends he had a few things to take care of and would be gone for a few weeks.

Megumi kept herself busy. She was at the most intense weeks of review for the medical board exams. A make-it or break-it schedule of group study sessions, practice tests, and clinical hours occupied so much of her days (and nights) she had little time for anything else.

After weeks of denied dates and missed calls, Koichi finally officially broke it off with her. Megumi was relieved. The breakup was par for the course, and she could no longer afford the distraction of maintaining a relationship that she was never really invested in the first place. She left a few things in Koichi's apartment though – not least of them were her lecture notes on gross anatomy.

Megumi was in the middle of a study session with a couple of friends when she received a text. It was sudden enough to cause her to pause mid-description of lumbar laminectomy. She glanced at her phone and started at who it was from.

' _Hey, I'm in town. Staying at Katsu's. Catch up later this week?' – S._

She smirked. When did he get a cellphone?

"Please tell me that is not Koichi," Himari muttered, wrinkling her nose. "I thought you got rid of that guy." She never did take to Megumi's latest boyfriend and was one of the more vocal of her friends about it.

Megumi blinked and re-oriented herself. Right. They were describing complicated medical procedures by way of review. Ignoring Himari's comment, she glanced down at the flash card she was holding instead and continued, "…most commonly performed to treat lumbar spinal stenosis symptoms. During this procedure, the lamina at one or more segments is removed with the goal of alleviated pressure on the spinal cord or nerves."

"Uhm," Kaito hesitated. "Spine fusion surgery?"

"No, but that's sometimes necessary in order to achieve adequate decompression of a nerve root," Megumi said.

Kaito just gave her a blank stare and said despairingly, "I'm gonna fail."

"Come on," Megumi urged. "You know this."

Himari made a jubilant sound and exclaimed, "Lumbar laminectomy!"

"And you are right." Megumi tossed her flash card into the pile in the center of the table. She sent Kaito a sympathetic smile before saying to Himari, "Your turn."

It was almost evening by the time they were finished. Kaito and Himari were going in the same direction so Megumi had to make her way to the station by herself. She got on the train without much hitch and occupied her time by reading her notes for general pathology. As the train moved, her mind drifted towards Sano's text and remembered that she didn't reply. She got her phone out and swiped the screen open. It didn't take long for her to find his message. She tapped her lips with a slender finger before she started typing:

' _So… you found another sucker to torture with your snoring.'_

A few seconds passed, and then the message tone of her phone sounded. _'I don't snore, you know.'_

Megumi chuckled at her screen and typed, _'Sure. How was home?'_

'' _Same."_ There was a pause and then Sano texted, _'I brought sansai. I'll bring some over.'_

' _I love sansai."_ She hit sent, thought about it, then added, _'Are the kids okay?'_

The response was quick. _'Uki will murder you for calling her a kid. They're doing well. Got a few things to take care of in town.'_ There was a brief pause, and then the message: _'Wanna catch up?'_

Instead of answering directly, Megumi posed a question of her own. _'Is this your number? Saving it.'_ She looked out the window, watching the city's neon lights blur with movement.

' _How long are you in town for?'_

' _Dunno yet. Are you free Saturday?'_ Sano texted.

She would be on-call all through Friday evening but she'd be out by 6:00 a.m. on Saturday. She typed, _'Breakfast. I'll be in scrubs and probably half dead.'_

Sano did not respond anymore and Megumi slipped her phone back into her purse.

* * *

Friday evening turned out to be a nightmare. A head on collision between a private tour van and a truck in Mita Dori resulted in multiple trauma victims rushed to emergency hospitals. The teaching hospital where Megumi trained was one of the closest to the site of the accident so its ER department had its hands full. Megumi found herself assisting on at least two patients and scrubbed in for a twelve-hour laparoscopy under Dr. Yamazaki. By the time her shift was finished, she really felt like she was half dead.

The smell of coffee energized her somewhat as Sano placed a steaming mug in front of her. She grabbed it gratefully, smiling, glad to see him.

"You weren't kidding about the half dead thing," Sano said, arranging their plates: waffles and bacon for Megumi and salted salmon, rice and miso soup for him. "You look..." He gestured in her general direction as he took his place across the table.

Megumi groaned. "Don't say it. I just got off a thirty-six-hour shift." She pushed her hair behind her ears self-consciously.

"Shit, that's brutal."

She nodded, suppressing a yawn as she placed her cup down and picked up a fork. "I've got to get my things out from Koichi's apartment."

Sano broke apart his chopsticks and dug into his salmon with gusto. "I'll help," he offered casually.

Megumi watched him for a moment, then sighed. "I'll never know how you can work out an appetite this early in the morning."

Sano paused long enough to take a huge gulp of his miso soup. "I'm a growing boy," he reasoned, placing a piece of salmon in his mouth and looking at her almost challengingly. "And I stay fit."

Unconsciously, Megumi gave him a once-over, noting the lean, athletic build he had kept all these years. His trainers were a bit muddy, informing her that he'd gone on a run before coming to meet her. Of course, the sheen of sweat over his muscled forearms should have told her that if she were paying attention, which she was. She did not know when exactly she first noticed it but Sano was very fit and attractive in a rough-and-tumble kind of way.

When Megumi finally raised her eyes to Sano's, he had a shit-eating grin on his face. At once, she felt her cheeks twinge at having been caught staring but hid her embarrassment behind a nonchalant tone. "Yeah, you're not half bad," she agreed, running a hand through her hair.

Sano just raised his eyebrows. At her shrug, he guffawed and said somewhat cockily, "You're not half bad either." He scratched the side of his face where unkempt stubbles darkened his already tanned features.

Megumi smirked, eyes glinting. "Are you trying to grow a beard? Or did you just forget to shave this morning?"

That drew a chuckle from him and he gave her a knowing look, then said, "Did you want to get your things now?"

"Yeah," was her answer as she moved to stab a waffle with a fork. "I mean, if you're free. And willing. And able." She waved her fork around before taking a bite of her waffle and chewing slowly.

He was grinning, clearly challenged. "I'm free. And willing. And able." He slanted an eyebrow suggestively and Megumi had to suppress a thrilled laugh before rolling her eyes at him.

"I thought you're not here for long?"

Sano shrugged, sat back in his chair and stretched his legs. "Not sure yet," he said, still faintly smiling. "I ran into Hiro-san the other day and he wants me to come in on Monday."

Megumi reached for her mug with both hands. Hiro-san was the owner of an office build-out company. Sano had worked for him as a day laborer two years ago but quit when he had to leave for China. It always puzzled her how anyone could just up and leave things undone just like that.

Sano was putting his hands together, signaling that he was finished eating. He glanced at Megumi's half-full plate and raised an eyebrow.

Megumi shrugged again, suppressing another yawn. "I'm too tired to eat."

"Try the bacon," he suggested.

"Are you trying to make me fat?"

"No," he said. "Seriously, you need to eat. You're way too thin."

She shot him a funny look but obliged. "So… are you taking the job?"

"Thinking about it," he replied, watching her place a piece of bacon in her mouth. "Is Koichi the guy who came to your apartment?"

"Yeah. We broke up." She reached for her coffee.

"You mean, he dumped you."

"Technically, I dumped him first," she pointed out, putting her cup down.

His grin widened. "Yeah, and _then_ he dumped you."

Megumi narrowed her eyes at him. The beginnings of annoyance. "We dumped each other."

"Technically," he clarified.

"Technically," she echoed.

"So technically, you're single now," he baited, tilting his head to the side.

Megumi just yawned into her hand and sat back, apparently finished eating. "I'm running on fumes, Sano." She stared at him, eyebrows arched expectantly.

Sano's grin never faltered, but he looked at her almost empty plate and yielded. "We should get going then."

The bus ride to Koichi's neighborhood was brief. The visit even briefer. Koichi had already packed her things and placed them near the doorway so that all that Megumi had to do was return her keys and pick up her stuff.

Sano grappled with the heavier pack while Megumi shouldered a backpack.

"Geez, what the hell are in this thing?" Sano muttered under his breath.

"Textbooks and clothes," Megumi answered promptly, pretending not to notice Koichi's thunderous glare as she turned to him for the last time. "Thank you," she said.

"Goodbye," Koichi returned, closing the door in her face with a final click.

Later, on the bus ride home, Megumi fell asleep. Sano had to gently shake her awake when they reached their stop. On the landing to her apartment, she thanked him and promised to take him out for drinks later. Sano just wiggled his brows at her and made a suggestive comment about post-breakup celebrations. Megumi just scoffed and shooed him away, claiming that she had to catch up on some sleep. However, after he left, she found herself lazily wondering, as she drifted off to unconsciousness, whether he was suggesting what she thought he was suggesting.

* * *

 _TBC_

* * *

 **AN** This is the sequel to Chasing Lights, which I've uploaded here before but currently reworking. The reworked first part is up on AO3. I'll probably re-upload it here sometime. Anyway, you'll notice soon that Part 2 is more straightforward in terms of narrative chronology.

Writing this to while away time (when I have it) and largely for my own entertainment, but I know there are a number of people here who also enjoy this couple, so this is for you, too.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chasing Lights 2: Anatomy of a Romance**

 _by lawless_

* * *

Intrusion.

* * *

Sano showed up at her flat the next evening with a six-pack, some take-out soba and tempura and the promised basket of _sansai_. Megumi was just taking a break from study when she opened the door to find him standing there in the hallway. He looked good in his faded blue jeans and white t-shirt, she observed with some resentment. Meanwhile she was dressed in a ratty button-down shirt that she'd slept in last night and an old pair of scrub pants that she used as pajama bottoms.

"You look a treat," he said, grinning widely.

She gave him the stink-eye but let him in without comment.

"You said you'd buy me drinks. But since you're busy, I thought I'd bring the drinks to you," Sano said as he strode towards the kitchenette in familiar fashion. "You're paying for this by the way."

Of course.

Megumi crossed the room and grabbed a can of beer from the six-pack that Sano placed on the coffee table. She pressed the cold can on her forehead, resting her eyes after staring at the screen for hours. Sano was methodically emptying the contents of his basket into the vegetable compartment of Megumi's fridge. After a moment, she heard the hiss of a beer can being opened and the couch dip under Sano's weight beside her. She listened to him arrange the take-out on the coffee table, plating them as best as he could in between sipping beer and lighting a cigarette.

"Your food, madam," he said finally, after a few minutes.

Megumi placed her can of beer on the table and took the bowl. She couldn't remember the last time she ate. Was it breakfast? She vaguely remembered chewing on a stale sandwich this morning. Her stomach must have shriveled up and died. But the smell of hot soba wafting up her nostrils revived it. She took a sip of the soup and tried the noodles, closing her eyes as the taste of food registered in her system.

Sano quickly reached for the ashtray, balanced his cigarette on a notch on the rim, and then picked up his own bowl of soba. He blew on the soup before taking a good sip, making a smacking sound with his lips as he did. " _Umai_ ," he muttered.

"God," Megumi rejoined with obvious pleasure.

"God has nothing to do with this. It's just good soba. Want a beer?" Sano was already picking up a can, preparing to open it.

Megumi nodded, her mouth full.

They ate in quiet companionship for a while. When hunger was satiated and the trash cleared away, they continued to enjoy the silence with cold beer. Sano noticed her glassy stare and asked if everything was alright.

Megumi didn't answer right away. She had a million other things to do besides sit here and drink beer with Sano. The board exam was in six weeks. Instead, she said, "I'm thinking of quitting. Smoking, I mean."

"Why?" He asked, reaching for the ash tray on the coffee table in front of them.

Megumi shrugged, crossing her legs under her. "I'm not quitting right away," she prevaricated. She couldn't remember why she started the habit in the first place.

Sano merely grunted as he blew smoke rings into the ceiling. "Think I'm going back to the farm after all."

"I thought Hiro-san is letting you back in," she said, taking a sip of her beer. She knew he was starting on Monday with Hiro-san and she also knew that he'd been promoted to foreman. All that made her think he was settling down. They'd been hanging out together ever since he got back; she was getting used to having him around. So the news that he was leaving Tokyo again sat on her heavily.

Sano stubbed out his cigarette then leaned back, one arm resting on the back of the couch. "Uki doesn't want to sell it. And we can't have the neighbors running it forever. They got their own to look after."

"And Hiro-san?"

"Gonna help him out for a couple of weeks until his son gets back from his honeymoon in Fiji."

"Oh," Megumi sounded. She took a cigarette – her first for the day – and lit it.

"How's the studying going?" Sano asked her in turn, watching her exhale smoke through her nose.

"Alright." She finished her beer and tossed the empty can on the table. It bounced on the wood, rolled and fell to the floor. They both stared at it as it made a sort of pirouette before going still.

"The exam is soon, right?"

Megumi tilted her head back, letting it rest against the couch. "….yeah."

"Nervous?"

Megumi opened her eyes and saw that Sano had rested his head back against the couch as well but kept his gaze trained on her profile. She moved to face him until her head was almost resting on his hand. "A little. Trying not to stress over it."

"When the exam is over, you should relax a bit."

"Yeah?"

He smiled but didn't say anything.

Megumi drew her brows together, thinking. "Yeah, maybe I will. I mean, I'm due for a leave anyway since I didn't take any to review for the board exams." She flicked ash from her cigarette before drawing a deep hit. "Was there a particular reason you came by tonight?" She asked after a moment, casting Sano an inquiring look. "Not that I don't appreciate the free delivery."

He sighed, dropping his hand and placing it on the space between them. "Just wanted to see a friendly face," he said, echoing what he said to her the night he returned to Tokyo.

"And you came here instead?" She couldn't resist smirking at that.

"You owe me a drink," he reminded her jokingly though his eyes were serious when he gazed at her.

"Still doesn't explain why you're here," she said, shrugging off the odd tightening in her chest.

"Katsu is having a date over," he explained, adopting her casual tone, then adding with a smug smile, "And you just broke up with your boyfriend, so I figured –"

"Bold of you to assume I didn't have a date tonight."

He looked surprised. "Do you?"

She cackled at his expression. "No, c'mon. Of course not." She stubbed out her cigarette and leaned back, settling among the throw pillows piled on one side of the couch. Sano had to move slightly to accommodate her feet, which she had put up to occupy the space between them. "I have a twelve-hour self-study session all planned out for tomorrow though," she informed. "So I plan to just take a break tonight. You can stay if you want."

His grin was subtle and slow to form. "Okay."

They ended up watching the current Taiga drama on NHK. For forty-five minutes, they absently tuned into costumed actors playing ordinary citizens and historical figures during the Meiji Restoration. When the preview scenes from future episodes rolled in with the credits, Sano switched the channel to international news.

By this time, Megumi was starting to fall asleep. It had been a long day of reading and memorizing stuff. She shifted to her side, placing her hands under her cheek.

Sano lowered the volume and lighted another cigarette.

"You know," Megumi said softly, observing him through half-closed eyes, "I had a bit of a crisis when you left two years ago."

He looked at her sideways. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, I was just realizing that I'd gotten used to you," she confessed, closing her eyes, suddenly very tired and loose. "I didn't even know how much until you were gone." She remembered the tight feeling in her chest, the sense of helplessness, the dread, the morning she realized he was really leaving. He was sitting just across from her in the diner, about as close as he was to her now, and feeling like the distance between them was impossible. "You never once emailed or texted," she murmured almost accusingly.

"You know I didn't own a cellphone –"

"I know you're practically a Neanderthal," she interrupted with a lethargic chuckle.

He smiled, sharing her amusement at his expense.

"You know," she said again after some length, keeping her eyes closed. "I think I _am_ taking a break after the exams."

"Good. You deserve it."

"Hm," she only said, already drifting off to sleep.

* * *

 _TBC_

* * *

 **AN** Hey, it's another chapter. Thanks to the anons who reviewed and the ones who put this on their story alerts. I actually have a few chapters more or less finished but I'm tweaking them as I go and only uploading chapters that I felt were really complete as far as my OCD is concerned. lolz.

So this chapter is called "Intrusion" which has both figurative and literal meaning. By the way, the chapter titles are like the 7 stages of grief, except they're like the stages of falling in love. Or some such nonsense. Ha.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chasing Lights 2: Anatomy of a Romance**

 _by lawless_

* * *

Crystallization.

* * *

"Oh my god, are you guys dating now?" Kaoru asked, looking at Megumi with round, disbelieving eyes.

The two of them were seated in a corner booth at a small café near the school where Kaoru taught elementary education. It had become a kind of routine for the two of them, which started about a year ago. Once a month, they met at a café somewhere to keep in touch and catch up. Megumi being generally a closed book, often it was Kaoru keeping the other woman posted on the comings and goings of everybody in their circle. It was Kaoru, for example, who told Megumi that one of the Seikihara twins, Sae, had left the family fold and opened her own restaurant in Kyoto. It was also Kaoru who informed her about Kamatari's coming out, which surprised absolutely nobody, except Chou.

This particular afternoon, Kaoru was telling Megumi about Misao's engagement with Aoshi, of all people, and the subsequent discussion about the unexpected, yet not at all surprising, pairing led Megumi to accidentally reveal that she was going to see Sano later that day. Considering that the recently engaged couple were both of their exes, it was a logical segue in the conversation until it became apparent to Kaoru that this was something that happened pretty frequently since Sano got back from China.

Hence, the current conversation about their relationship and its exact definition.

"We just hang out," Megumi explained with a wave of her hand. It had not occurred to her before this exchange that this was something that merited a discussion.

"Yeah, all the time apparently," Kaoru replied. "If that isn't the definition of dating…."

Megumi rolled her eyes. "I just broke up with my boyfriend. I have to complete my clinical hours and I have an exam to pass. I don't have time to date. Besides," and here she shrugged, "we're just friends."

"Uhuh."

"Friends hang out," she insisted. "Don't make it weird."

"I'm not, I'm just -" Kaoru must have seen the look on her face and capitulated. " _Fine._ " The younger woman took a sip of her milk tea, looking entirely unconvinced. After a moment, she smiled and said, her voice taking on a conspiratorial tone, "You gotta admit though…"

Megumi was suspicious and couldn't resist asking, "What?"

"Ever since he got back, he's gotten," Kaoru hesitated, "uhm, fit, hasn't he?"

Megumi dropped her jaw and stared at her friend, wide-eyed.

Kaoru giggled. "Oh, come on. Like you didn't notice."

Megumi was amused despite herself, surprised and not a little embarrassed. Because what Kaoru said wasn't untrue. She did notice. She wasn't oblivious. But coming from Kaoru I-have-eyes-only-for-Kenshin Himura, it was something unexpected. It was enough to make her blush. She shifted in her seat and let out a little laugh.

"See?" Kaoru went on, motioning with her hand. "You know what I mean."

Megumi just shook her head. Later that day, however, she had to wonder and consider the possibility as she made her way to dinner at a local _yakitori_ shop.

It was an old favorite of theirs. Sano told her about the place back in college. It was located near Shinjuku Station in Omoide Yokocho – Memory Lane. Or Piss Alley, as it was colloquially known. Megumi had such a craving for the smoky taste of chicken skewers the other night that she texted Sano to ask if he wanted to go. He was game for it and suggested Noritaka-san's _yakitori_ shop up in Piss Alley.

Nearly all stalls were packed when she got there – old, young, students, salarymen, all having a drink, smoking and eating. The beautiful aroma of fire roasting _yakitori_ skewers filled the air in the tiny _yakitori-ya_ restaurant like a smoking meat sauna. The proprietor recognized Megumi almost immediately but she had to wait until a customer in the back finished and left. When he did, all the other people sitting had to stand up and scoot in.

"Yo," Sano greeted her as Megumi squeezed past a salaryman and a student.

The youngster eyeballed Megumi for a full minute until she noticed and gave him a wink that made him blush hard and return his attention quick-like to his plate. Sano saw the exchange and lifted his eyebrow mockingly, to which Megumi only smirked as she grabbed the stool next to his.

"Welcome!" The proprietor, Noritaka-san, greeted.

"Please give us the usual, Noritaka-san," Sano said in an overly loud voice, making a huge fuss of moving his chair to make more room for Megumi. "Hey, do you want a beer?" He asked.

"Yes, please," she answered.

"Noritaka-san, two beers please!"

Megumi was in a rare, chatty mood that evening. While waiting for their order, she found herself prattling on about the latest gossip from Kaoru. Sano mostly listened but gave his input from time to time. It was when their orders arrived (two plates of skewered chicken wings, leeks wrapped in slices of bacon and meatballs, doused in teriyaki sauce) that she told him about Misao and Aoshi's engagement.

The table was so narrow, it could only accommodate ¾ of the plate. Megumi maneuvered as best as she could, her elbow and knee occasionally brushing against Sano's.

"It's a little weird, don't you think?" She mused in between bites. At Sano's blank reaction, she elaborated, "Misao and Aoshi. They're both our exes."

Sano swallowed his food and gulped down his beer. "I guess."

"I didn't even know they were dating. Did you?"

"No."

Megumi stared at him.

Sano paused in the middle of popping a piece of vegetable in his mouth and asked, "What?"

"Oh, nothing," Megumi shrugged.

This time, it was Sano's turn to stare. "Does it bother you that much?" He placed a bamboo skewer between his teeth and chewed on it thoughtfully.

"No." She grabbed her beer and took a sip.

"It doesn't bother me," Sano said much later as they took a casual stroll along the boulevard before eventually calling it a night and heading for the train station.

"Hm?" Megumi had paused at a nearby cigarette vending machine, fishing out her _taspo_ from her purse. Before inserting the blue plastic card into the card reader, she glanced at Sano. "Want one?"

"Yeah, just whatever you're having," he said with a wave of his hand. There was no follow-up to his earlier statement. Anything he'd been about to say remained unspoken for the moment.

Megumi chose a half-pack of Marlboro ice blast, bent over to get it and took one out between her fingers. The two of them moved to stand by a nearby ashtray, Sano already flicking on his lighter. He held it up while Megumi leaned over, a hand cupped over the flame. He lit up as well and made a slight grimace at the overwhelming menthol flavor, earning a slight chuckle from her.

"I thought you're quitting," he reminded her.

"I said not right away," she replied.

"You wanna make this your last pack?"

She thought about it for a moment, then nodded. "I can make it last."

She stepped back and leaned against the wall behind her. Sano followed suit, leaning one shoulder against the stone structure. A young couple their age stopped by to finish their cigarettes before continuing on their way, arms linked together.

"You know what would be funny?" Sano suddenly piped up, glancing at Megumi from the corners of his eyes.

"What?" She realized that he was quite distractingly standing very close.

"If we started dating, too," he said with a lopsided smile.

"Hmm," she sounded, plucking idly at the folds of her sweater.

"What?" Sano waited for her to look at him. "You're attractive. I'm attractive –"

"You think you're attractive?" She asked, her tone surprised.

He grinned, eyes twinkling in merriment. "Look, I know you're attracted to me, Megumi."

She let out a snort and sent him a softly deriding glance. _What ego_ , she thought, ignoring the breathless pressure in her chest.

"Hey." He held her elbow partly in assurance and partly to distract her as he smiled at her directly, personally, through the guards she put up around her. "I think you're attractive, too. I can admit that."

If her heart was doing flip flops before, it was thundering now. But she kept her face composed as she narrowed her gaze at him. "That's hardly the point."

"I disagree," he said calmly.

"Even if it is," she continued, but lost her train of thought as his smile widened in anticipation of what she was going to say. How had she not noticed before the amber rim around his irises?

Quietly, he asked with some amusement, "How long do you think we can keep this up, Megumi?"

Pretending not to hear, Megumi stubbed out her cigarette, rolled her eyes at him and started walking away. "We better get a move on. I don't want to miss our train."

Still chuckling, Sano tossed his half-finished cigarette into the pile of ash and followed her.

* * *

 _TBC_

* * *

 **AN** Again, thanks for reading. Akanke and WaterInk, for reviewing. I know you're huge fans of Sano x Megumi and I really appreciate your reviews every time. More chapters are coming.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chasing Lights 2: Anatomy of a Romance**

 _by lawless_

* * *

Craving.

* * *

Megumi had always known if she'd date a guy. Usually, she knew it from the first moment they met. She had a type. Dark and broody. A bit of a snob. She was a little self-conscious about her height so they had to be at least a head taller than her. She avoided players.

Except for being tall, Sagara Sanosuke did not fit that type. Maybe that was why he never came into the picture before. Now suddenly he was in her vision and it had thrown her for a loop.

Megumi eyed the condensation on her glass of mai tai, trying not to grimace from the over-loud music. This would make it their third club for the night and it wasn't even midnight yet. She couldn't remember anymore who came up with the idea of club-hopping. Was it Himari? Or Kanako? Both of them had insisted that the best way to relax after the hardest and most important exam in their young, professional lives was to let loose at a club, or three. Megumi had been too tired and too dazed to think of an effective counter-argument then. Now, as she sat there, idly twirling the lemon twist on her drink, she came up with dozens.

"Oh, what about that one?" Himari said. They were trying to pick out the cute guys from the crowd. Without much success apparently. There was always something wrong with him, it turned out.

"Gay," Kanako called it.

"Really?" Himari was dubious. She turned to their silent companion but Megumi just shrugged. "I think he's metrosexual. Okay, that one?" She pointed at a guy, wearing thick, black-framed glasses.

"Ugh, Himari, I wonder about your taste sometimes."

"What?"

"He's wearing a Pikachu shirt."

"Maybe he's wearing it ironically."

Kanako scoffed and turned to Megumi. "What do you think?"

"Hm?" Megumi muttered distractedly. She thought she saw a familiar-looking head in the crowd somewhere but she couldn't be sure.

"Come on. You're not even trying," Himari accused her.

Kanako noticed Megumi's interest and tried to follow her gaze. "What are you looking at?"

" _Who_ are you looking at?" Himari echoed. Now, both girls were staring in the direction of Megumi's stare.

On the stage, a band was doing sound check, its lead singer tapping on the mic and saying a few words in English. On first glance, he might have been mistaken for Sanosuke but he had black hair, gelled into spikes and wore eye shadow and mascara.

"Forget it," Megumi said, exhaling a breath she didn't know she was holding, "let's just get out of here." He wasn't even in Tokyo tonight. He'd left some weeks ago. Gone to work at his family's farm. It was almost funny, if it weren't true. Who would have thought the aimless drifter, Sagara Sanosuke, would find something worth his while?

Himari and Kanako exchanged glances, then Kanako narrowed her eyes at Megumi. "We need to get more drinks in you."

Megumi groaned and tried to get up. "Guys, I have a bus to catch tomorrow, and we still have to do rounds." It would be her last day on duty before she went on official leave. At least she had that to look forward to.

"Just one more," Kanako urged.

Hours later, Megumi stumbled inside her apartment. She dropped her keys a few times in the hallway, trying to insert it into the keyhole. Now, she kicked off her heels and swayed towards the bed, taking off her jacket along the way. She didn't even get to finish taking off her clothes when her head hit the pillow and she instantly went to sleep.

The next morning, the sound of her alarm clock beeping told her it was time to get up. She felt the headache coming and groaned as she reluctantly left the warmth of her bed and padded blearily towards the shower. She turned the tap and woke herself up with cold, freezing water beating down her exhausted body. She stepped out of the shower a few minutes later, shivering violently as she reached for the towel to dry herself off. Then she drank a lot of water, brushed her teeth, put on some light makeup, tied up her hair in a loose ponytail and pulled on a pair of slacks and a white button-up shirt. She made her way out of her apartment.

Her message alert sounded and Megumi felt her heart skip a beat as she glanced at the screen. But it was only her Dad asking what time their driver, Masa-san, should pick her up at the bus station. She gave him the time and then slipped her phone back into her bag.

The break room was teeming with people when Megumi came in. Himari and Kanako were huddled together in one table, looking miserable as they nursed their hangovers with coffee. Megumi was feeling the worse for wear herself and gave them a commiserating smile when they looked up. She poured herself a cup of coffee from the counter and joined them at the table.

"I hate you," Kanako was the first to say.

"Believe me, I feel like my brain is exploding out of my skull," Megumi told her.

"You don't look it," Himari rejoined. "You look fucking peachy."

At that moment, Dr. Gensai Oguni, the hospital administrator, walked into the break room together with a slender woman whom he introduced as Dr. Takagi Tokio, the new staff doctor. One of the residents, Dr. Nakano Atsushi, followed not far behind, carrying charts. After the necessary introductions, Dr. Gensai wished Dr. Takagi well on her first day and left. The three interns looked up expectantly at the pretty staff doctor, who smiled at them pleasantly and proceeded to tell them in no uncertain terms to get off their butts and follow her.

The morning rounds were typical. The new staff doctor facilitating the presentation was anything but. Even Dr. Nakano, the supervising resident who occasionally liked to go on power trips and terrorize the interns, appeared nervous as he presented Mr. Kondo, who was being treated for right leg cellulitis and was on his fifth day in the hospital. "…creatinine point eight, down from one point five yesterday. WBC eight point seven, down from fourteen," he recited the lab and imaging results.

"What's the likely organism?" Dr. Takagi asked, turning to the team of residents, physicians and interns.

"Staph," Dr. Kurumi, a first-year physician, answered. "We're keeping him on Vancomycin until the final culture results are back."

"What's the transition drug if cultures are back?" Dr. Takagi gazed pointedly at Himari, who stammered a wrong answer, causing an annoyed expression to flicker across the new staff doctor's face.

"If MRSA, transition to PO Doxycycline," Dr. Mita, one of the more promising residents at the hospital, helpfully provided. "If MSSA, transition to PO Dicloxacillin."

Dr. Takagi next asked, "Patient was on anti-hypertensive medications pre-admission. When admitted, ACE inhibitors were held as blood pressure was low due to sepsis. Now, his BP is climbing back to hypertensive range. What's your plan?"

"Put him back on ACE inhibitors," another first-year physician suggested. "The infection is under control and everything has improved."

"Except ACE inhibition can induce acute kidney injury," Dr. Takagi snipped. "Congratulations, Doctor, you probably just permanently damaged your patient's kidney."

The physician looked like she was trying to blink back tears.

"He's on amlodipine five milligrams for today," Dr. Nakano answered for his team. "Given AKI, we're still holding on the ACE inhibitors and probably restart them only on outpatient follow up."

The rest of the morning went by as expected. They saw a total of eight patients and with each one, Dr. Takagi's questioning became more specific and targeted to test not just their familiarity with the patient's condition but also their knowledge of medicine. Even the interns were not spared as Megumi found herself being grilled about common causes of AKI.

Afternoon was a different kind of creature. The interns paired up with a physician to shadow a resident at the E.R. There were not a lot of cases though and at around 3:00 p.m., Megumi got a page from Dr. Gensai, who called to let her know that she could leave early.

So, factoring in some last-minute packing and making sure her rent is paid in advance, Megumi managed to catch the 6:00 p.m. JR Shinjuku highway bus to Aizu-Wakamatsu Station. This messed up her schedule somewhat as her parents weren't expecting her until half-past ten. They were still out at a gathering of friends and colleagues in the next town when Megumi's bus arrived. Thankfully, they were able to send the family driver ahead to pick her up.

Megumi paused, scanning the faces of the crowd gathered at the entrance to the station. She easily picked out Masa-san's salt-and-pepper crown and waived at him. A few minutes later, Megumi was sliding into the leather-seated interior of her Dad's old gray Lexus, taking in the familiar scent and engaging in idle conversation with Masa-san.

* * *

 _TBC_

* * *

 **AN** I did a lot of research for this chapter so you're going to learn all about what I've researched. LOL.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chasing Lights 2: Anatomy of a Romance**

 _by lawless_

* * *

Hope.

* * *

Breakfast was always late at the Takani household. Megumi's parents, regular night-owls that they were, often stayed up well into the night and woke up long after the sun had risen. Megumi almost immediately habituated despite being away for most of her college years. So, it was mid-morning by the time she came down and joined her parents at the patio for a light meal.

Takani Ryusei, a handsome white-haired man in his mid-sixties, was enjoying coffee with his paper, while his wife, Emi, a roundish woman with a pretty smile, carried on a mostly one-sided conversation as she puttered about in the garden. She looked up just as Megumi came to the table and helped herself to some toast.

"Your roses are looking lovely, Mom," Megumi said by way of a greeting.

Her mom paused, wiped the sweat from her brow, and smiled brightly. "Aren't they?" She mused proudly. Gardening was her one true passion. "My friend Keiko gave me some peniflora and I plan to put them right here under the shade. They love the shade. What do you think?"

Megumi gazed at the spot that her mom was pointing – around a weeping maple cascading from a large pot, and tried to imagine the bright yellow peniflora blooming beneath the emerald leaves. She thought it provided a nice contrast. She said so aloud and her mom was delighted. Her mom continued to talk about her ideas for the garden, not even noticing when Megumi tuned out and reached for the coffee pot.

"Good morning, _kitsune-chan_ ," Dr. Takani said, glancing at her from behind his paper.

Megumi's grimace at the old nickname was automatic by now. Her father didn't see it though as he promptly returned his attention to what he had been reading. Megumi poured herself a cup of coffee and gratefully took her first sip.

"…I wanna pick up a few things at the garden store. Did you say you were going to town today?"

The inquiry jarred Megumi from her thoughts. "I was going to ask Dad if I could take the car. I can pick up those things for you, Mom."

"Oh, that's sweet of you, dear," her mom said, putting away her trowels and hand pruners and then removing her gardening gloves. "I'm sure Akio-chan will be delighted to see you again."

Akio-chan was Takani Emi's favorite florist who happened to own and run a small store that sold mostly gardening stuff. Takani Emi was a big fan. Megumi remembered being a kid and standing in the middle of Akio-chan's store, looking at rows of loppers and garden forks of varying sizes, while her mother conversed at length with the aforesaid florist about bonemeals and chlorosis. Even then, Megumi was more fascinated with cutting things than growing things.

She turned to her Dad and asked if she could borrow the car.

"What's that, _kitsune-chan?_ " Dr. Takani asked, glancing at her again from behind his paper.

"Can I borrow the car?" Megumi repeated. Her dad said something but she was not listening anymore as at that moment, she received a text on her phone that simply said: _'Hey.'_

Her heart lurched.

"…with you?" Her Dad was saying and she had to ask him to repeat the question. "I said, are you taking Masa-san with you?"

"Oh, I thought you might need him here for something else. I'll drive." Megumi peeled her eyes from her phone to look at her Dad, who was once again absorbed in his paper however. She returned her attention to her piece of toast instead and proceeded to spread some butter over it. She took her time even as her fingers itched to open her phone. "Mom also wants a few things picked up from Akio-chan's."

"Will you be home in time for dinner?" Her mom interjected, coming to the table.

"…I'm not sure," she hesitated, taking a bite of her toast. As she did, she couldn't help glancing at her phone, wondering if Sano would say something more. He could be so frustratingly monosyllabic sometimes and prone to going on radio silence. He hadn't texted since that night in Memory Lane. She was beginning to think he wasn't so interested after all.

Takani Ryusei finally folded his paper and placed it on the table as though he was finished with it. "Mom was planning on making your favorite _mapo tofu_ tonight," he said, peering at Megumi from behind his reading glasses.

"Oh," Megumi said uncertainly, adding, "I can cancel…." She really did not want to. While she loved her parents very much, spending more than a few days at a time with either of them was enough to drive anyone crazy. Ryusei was always preoccupied with his papers, spending hours on end cooped up in his study. Emi, on the other hand, was nuts about gardening. She was forever taking Megumi to her friends' houses to look at rare cacti and orchids. Strangely, these differences between them didn't seem to affect their relationship at all. The couple was as closely knit as they'd always been.

Mrs. Takani looked at her daughter for a moment, then turned to her husband. "No, that's alright, Dad," she said gently. "I can make _mopu tofu_ tomorrow night. Let Megumi-chan go see her friends. She hasn't seen them in years after all."

Megumi looked at her Mom with love and gratitude. "Thanks, Mom. I promise I'll make it up to you."

After breakfast, Megumi went to her room to change. First, she picked up her cellphone and opened the screen to the top message. In the half hour it took for her to finish eating, her mood changed from nervous excitement to the beginnings of irritation. Why _didn't_ he say anything else?

 _'Hey,'_ she texted back.

The response was quick, which placated her somewhat. _'How's it going?'_

Still a bit miffed, she let a whole minute pass before answering that she was alright and was heading to town. This time, his response was measured. She was putting on the finishing touches of her make-up when Sano texted:

 _'Saw you in town yesterday with some old pals.'_

Megumi remembered that she'd run into some friends from middle school and had a chat with them over at the local ice cream parlor. _'You were at the ice cream parlor?'_ She asked. She didn't see Sano but, then again, she hadn't been paying attention to the other patrons.

 _'The hardware store next door,'_ he replied.

 _'Why didn't you say hi?'_

 _'Looked like you were having fun.'_

Megumi hesitated, her thumbs hovering over the screen. After a beat, she typed, _'I'm going out now. Wanna grab lunch later?'_ Then she put down her phone on the dresser and pretended like his answer didn't matter. She finished doing her eyebrows and put on some lipstick.

After some length, her phone's message alert sounded. Stomach doing somersaults, she picked up the gadget and read his text.

 _'Can't_ ,' Sano said. _'Got some stuff to finish. Rain check?'_

 _'Sure, no problem.'_ Megumi bit her lip. The screen showed that he was still typing.

 _'How about dinner?'_

* * *

 _TBC_

* * *

 **AN** OH EM GEE they're going on a date!

Okay, short chapter, but the next one will be up very soon.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chasing Lights 2: Anatomy of a Romance**

 _by lawless_

* * *

Uncertainty.

* * *

The Higashidani farm was a dignified old place that grew out of the wooded hills as if it had always been part of the scenery. The house itself was _magariya_ , an old L-shaped farmhouse with touches of modernity, featuring hip-and-gable roofing made of colored tiles instead of the traditional thatch, and an engawa overlooking the fields. The unfloored stable filled with horses back in the day was at a right angle to the main house and now served as storage for a small tractor and other farming implements.

Megumi's impromptu get-together with middle school friends ran later than intended. It was already evening by the time she drove up the narrow dirt road to the farm. She stopped her car under a persimmon tree heavy with low-hanging fruits. Waiting a few minutes to collect her thoughts, she didn't notice when someone approached the driver's side until he was practically leaning in the window.

"Well, look who finally made it" was Sano's cheery greeting.

Megumi's hand flew to her throat as she whirled around to face him. "Dammit, Sano, are you trying to give me a heart attack?" She exclaimed.

"Nah," he replied, grinning knowingly as his gaze roamed over her. "Whatcha doin'?"

"What do you mean what am I doing? I just got here."

"Nah, I watched you arrive. You were sitting here, doing nothing for like, ten minutes."

She could feel the blood rush to her face and was thankful that it was too dark for him to see. "Didn't anybody tell you it's rude to watch people?" She scoffed in annoyance. "Not to mention it's creepy."

This time he laughed, serving only to increase Megumi's irritation. He was still chuckling softly when he stepped back to let her out of the car. Then he stopped to draw a breath.

Megumi wasn't paying attention to his reaction as she was busy with the pounding in her own chest that had been increasing in tempo ever since she arrived. In the weeks she hadn't seen or heard from Sano, she'd managed to downplay the attraction she felt. But there was no mistaking that fluttering in her stomach or the staccato rhythm of her heartbeat every time he drew near. Today, he was wearing a white t-shirt and jeans so faded and frayed they looked almost white. His hair had gotten a bit longer, not by much but enough to curl over the collar of his shirt. And he definitely was trying to grow a beard if the permanent five o' clock shadow covering his lower face were any indication.

God, she was in for it now.

"What's this?" Sano asked a moment later when Megumi handed him a box wrapped in _furoshiki_.

"It's nothing, but please accept it anyway." It was courtesy to bring a gift during house visits.

The plan was to stay until after-dinner tea, have one of their pointless chats, make an appointment for next time – the usual casual things they did. Except, this wasn't usual and it certainly wasn't casual. Something had happened between them. Sano was going out of his way. She was doing the same. And they were both conscious that they were slipping past friendship this time and going into something unknown.

Dinner was served and ready for them at the hearth, called an _irori_ , above which hung a kettle suspended from the ceiling by an adjustable hook made of wood, metal and bamboo. Years of burning charcoal and wood in the sunken hearth has turned the interior of the loft area a striking deep black. Near the _irori_ was a short table, already set up for two.

"Uki and Outa are in cram school," Sano explained as he took his place at the table and beckoned for her to do the same.

"What time are they coming back?"

"A couple of hours, give or take," he replied. "They're usually back at just after ten." Neither of them voiced the convenience of having the house all to themselves for the duration.

Their meal was a simple affair of grilled mackerel, beef stew with potato, cucumber salad and miso soup. Sano boasted that he picked the potato and cucumber himself from the farm and that he learned how to make the stew in Mongolia. ' _Budaatai Khuurga'_ he called it, which was traditionally made with mutton though any kind of meat would do.

The dish proved to be a handy opening for Megumi to ask Sano about his travels. Apparently, he'd been all over Asia. He was not on social media so nobody really knew what he was doing all the time he was there. Listening to him talk now was a revelation. It turned out he did most everything, been everywhere, from the regular tourist traps to trails off the beaten path. To fund his wanderlust, he played music and did odd jobs. At one point, he even sold his camera to go trekking in Mongolia.

"I'm glad you still play music," Megumi mused later. After clearing out the table and washing the dishes, the two of them moved to the engawa with a pot of green tea. "That's how we met, remember?'

Sano's face lit up at this. Suddenly, he stood up and went back inside the house. He returned a moment later with a guitar – not the old beat-up one he used to drag around in high school all up to college. This instrument was shiny and new and mahogany red in color. He tapped the body once and said, "Got this one from the Philippines." Then he sat down next to her and run his thumb over the strings. "Any requests, _kitsune-chan?_ " He asked, using the nickname she hated so much.

Her right eyebrow quirked in annoyance. "As long as it's not gibberish," she quipped, curving her mouth into a smirk.

But Sano didn't wait for an answer as he began playing almost immediately. The song was "Uchiage Hanabi" by DAOKO, a song Megumi recognized because it was only one of the most played songs on the radio for the past several months.

"I'll play, you sing," he urged, eyes glinting.

She knew he was teasing her because she never sang; couldn't sing a note if she tried. There was not a single musical bone in her body. But she liked it when others did. And she liked listening to Sano play, liked watching his strong, slender fingers dance over the frets, liked the way his eyes closed during the chorus, long eyelashes forming half-moons on his cheeks. He was playing a different song now, a finger-style guitar version of another chart-topper by a former vocaloid artist, whose name escaped her at the moment.

She recognized the signs, the thudding at her ribs, her own shaky pulse. Falling hard, falling fast. She watched the corners of Sano's lips lift into a grin, just as he segued the song into the ultra-sweet, bubbly chorus of TWICE's "Heart Shaker." He opened his eyes just then and saw the look on her face. He didn't stop playing, simply leaned over and pressed a lingering kiss on her lips.

Her heart was already pounding hard, now it had practically risen to the base of her throat. She let out a soft sigh as Sano leaned back, grinning into her eyes and continued plucking the strings until the song died down on its own. When he finished, he didn't start again and simply sat there.

The quiet was pregnant with unspoken words.

"I'm bad at this, Sano," she finally said when the silence stretched. "You should know. You've seen how bad I am at this." She was at the tail end of a bad breakup to add to the trail of bad breakups. And she just finished the most grueling examination of her entire life. She was in no shape to be embarking on a new relationship, let alone one that was doomed to remain long distance. Not only that, but time was an issue. She regularly pulled eighteen-hour shifts and remained on-call for the rest. She worked four days a week and slept in the hospital for the other two because she wanted the most interesting cases. This had "bad idea" written all over it.

As though reading her mind, he asked, "You think this is a bad idea?"

"I don't just think. I _know_."

"Not even if we both feel the same way?" He suggested, moving closer. His hand cupped her chin, his thumb stroking her cheek.

"I don't see how it'll work." She closed her eyes, shielding them from his penetrating gaze. His fingers were lighting a trail of small fires on her skin. She knew he was going to kiss her again. Even so, when his mouth covered hers, she was unprepared for lips that were both sweet and possessive.

"You don't even want to try?" He murmured, nipping her bottom lip. They both felt the shiver run through her spine. He pulled back and studied her face.

"I can't," she said unsteadily. _I feel too much_ , she wanted to say, but couldn't.

* * *

 _TBC_

* * *

 **AN** Welp that happened.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chasing Lights 2: Anatomy of a Romance**

 _by lawless_

* * *

Rush.

* * *

Megumi had a long time to think about the kiss.

She woke up later than usual the next morning and had a solitary breakfast as her parents were long done and already occupied with the day's activities. She thought about the kiss while munching on cold cereal. She thought of nothing else when she was trying to read a medical journal by the light of her bedroom window.

At any other time, she'd have no problem losing herself in an article about 'Bacterial Pneumonia in Elderly Populations,' but the memory of Sano's lips kept interrupting. She'd always been careful with structuring her relationships. That was why it astonished her – the effect Sano had on her. More than the kiss, it was the passion that came with it. Unbidden and bewildering.

He was a distraction, she decided two days later, on her way to town to shop for souvenirs for her friends in Tokyo. She was about to dock into a store when she spotted him walk out from the back of the local grocer's. Her heart stopped.

Sano was carrying some crates which he loaded into an old, mud-streaked Suzuki Carry parked at curbside. A young shop assistant came running out, bowed several times and practically shoved a bag of fruits in his arms before going back inside with the same speed. There was a comical expression on his face as he stared after her in shock. After a while, he turned and saw Megumi.

A distraction. She could feel her breath coming out fast as she smiled and raised her hand in a tentative wave. After depositing the bag of fruits into the passenger seat, Sano quickly crossed the street to where she was standing.

"You're a sight for sore eyes," he said by way of a greeting when he reached her side. "Whatchu up to?" He was wearing a flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled up, farm gloves sticking out from his jean pockets and boots caked in mud. His gaze was lazy as they regarded her, that grin lifting the corner of his lips just so.

Megumi gestured vaguely in the direction of the _washi_ shop that she'd intended to check out. "I was just gonna –"

"It's almost lunch," he interrupted, checking his watch. "Wanna grab a bite?"

"You mean, with you?" She asked without a trace of sarcasm.

He looked at her sideways and chuckled. "Sure. Promise I'll make it worth your while."

They ended up having lunch at a nearby restaurant known for its _wappameshi_. Dishes of rice topped with dried scallops, shiitake mushroom, carrots, _katuobushi_ , _kombu_ and bamboo shoots, steamed together in special cylindrical containers fashioned of thin cypress wood filled their table. As they ate, Sano told her about his scheme of opening the farm up to private tours once a week to help cover the overhead. He got the idea for it in one of his travels.

"Sounds exciting," Megumi commented.

"It's a lot of work for sure," Sano admitted, putting down his bowl of miso soup. "It'll probably take me the better part of the year just to get everything set up." His plan was to introduce seasonal fruits, perfect for fruit-picking tours, and convert a part of the house into a hospitality corner to accommodate overnight guests.

"It does sound like you're going to have your hands full," Megumi said, picking slices of mushroom with her chopsticks. She realized with a pang that it meant Sano would not be going back to Tokyo any time soon.

"Uki is handling all the hospitality stuff," he went on, unaware of Megumi's misgivings. He chewed on a toothpick out of habit. "I mean, we're all pitching in. I'm gonna have to play host some of the time. And Outa's gonna help when he's not in school."

"Host?" She repeated. For a full minute, her mind went to an entirely different kind of host. Those glittery twenty-somethings with perfectly coifed hair, immaculate make-up and expensive clothes who charmed and flattered ladies so they'd buy overpriced drinks in Tokyo clubs.

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Oi, what are you thinking of?"

She just shrugged and bit the inside of her lips to keep from smirking. As they finished lunch, Sano suggested taking her on a solo tour of the farm. "That way you can get firsthand experience and tell all your doctor friends so they'll wanna come and book with us."

"Already thinking like a savvy businessman, I see," she remarked, lifting an eyebrow and adding, "And when is this solo tour, may I ask?"

"Now, if you're free." And he smiled so warmly, she felt her breath hitch.

"Okay," she said, pushing her chair back and standing up. She looked at him, then at the tab, and slanted a brow. "Are you gonna pick that up?"

He chuckled, took out his wallet and slapped a couple of 1,000-yen notes on the table. "I was going to," he grumbled in mock offense. Then he grabbed his jacket, walked with her to his truck and opened the door for her with exaggerated gallantry.

"Working on that charm, I see," she commented as she took her seat on the passenger's side. He just winked at her as he slid on the driver's seat and fired up the engine.

The tour turned out to be a lot of fun. Sano could turn on the charm when he wanted to. Megumi found herself regaled with comical stories about farm mishaps and funny anecdotes about the Higashidani ancestors. He let her pick the vegetables she'd like to bring home with her while he told her the characteristics of each plant that informed farmers like him how to grow them. He showed her the spot where he planned to plant rows of grapes or strawberries; he hadn't made up his mind yet. And he pointed to her the corner where he intended to erect a small hut for selling organic produce.

In their walk, they had wandered to the edge of the farm where an abandoned rice milling hut stood. Water no longer flowed from the water wheel and the rice field that should have been nearby had long dried out and overgrown with weed. Its owners had left and moved somewhere some years ago, Sano told her, and the property was actually for sale but no one bought. Most farmers nearby who would be otherwise interested were too undermanned or old to handle the work.

"What do you think?" He suddenly asked, turning to study her profile.

"What do I think of what?"

"I might buy it," he mused aloud.

The sun had moved towards the western sky. In the distance, a cluster of dark clouds signaled perhaps a storm later in the evening. Megumi stepped under the shade of the rice milling hut and gazed at the green vista of gently rolling hills and plateaus before her. The singing of cuckoo birds and bush warblers imbued the air. The heady scent of rain and earth filled her with a sense of contentment she'd been missing for so long. And Sano stood in front of her, a tiny smile curving his lips just so, looking at her like she was the center of this arcadian scene.

She felt reckless. "Are you going to kiss me?"

His mouth quirked further up as he moved closer. "Let me think."

His audacity was her undoing. Eyes dancing in amusement, she took a step towards him, leaning forward, and flattening one palm on his chest. When her mouth was mere inches from his, she had to ask, "Well?"

He blinked and teasingly asked, "Oh, are you asking me to?"

And this time, she did laugh, her heart alight. He wasn't a distraction, she realized with a start. At this moment, she wanted no one else. He was the only one in her thoughts, the only one who made her heart pound as he leaned ever closer, firing up her pulse in anticipation.

His mouth landed on her cheek at first, and as she opened her mouth to protest, his lips finally swooped down on hers. It felt just like before. Potent, uncontrollable. It drove her to forget everything but that delicious sensation within her body. His mouth was harder and rougher than the other night, but she strained her arms around him and met his demand with demand. When he finally lifted his lips from hers, it was only to race down her throat. She moaned and tilted her head back, letting him devour her skin with his teeth and tongue. Her own hands found purchase around his neck, fingers scratching and dragging through his hair. With a murmur of desperation, she dragged his lips back to hers.

The kiss exploded. Megumi could feel his body strain against her and could only whimper in sympathy. She, too, was aching to be touched and she pressed herself against him to let him know. With an oath, Sano shoved her against the wall of the hut, one hand holding her hip, the other cupping her breast, as he ravaged her mouth. The wood bit into her back but his lips and hands were warm and feverish with need and she could feel the thunder of his heart as it raced to match hers.

"Sano," she murmured, shivering when he brushed his lips over her collarbone.

After the initial heat, his caresses had turned languid as though he was gentling himself, hands just barely brushing the surface of her skin. Even so, she reacted the same and acknowledged desire, pure and simple. "Take me to bed," she whispered.

Finally, Sano looked up and stared into her eyes, his own dark and luminous.

* * *

 _TBC_

* * *

 **AN** Thanks for reviewing! It's everything. This pairing just gives me all the feels.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chasing Lights 2: Anatomy of a Romance**

 _by lawless_

* * *

Limerence.

* * *

They stumbled into the house, kissing and parting and trying to remove each other's clothes as they went. Megumi succeeded in getting Sano to take off his shirt at the _irori_ and immediately ran her hands over the hard dips and swell of his muscles. They barely reached Sano's room when they fell to the floor in a tangle of limbs. Cool air touched her bare skin, followed by calloused hands hurriedly lifting her skirt, bunching the cloth at the waist. Her own hands were trembling as she struggled with the clasp of his jeans. They laughed as they fumbled together on the floor, and then he was sheathing himself in her. And Megumi shut her eyes and hummed in pleasure. She was aware only of his warm, heady scent all around her, the way his muscles flexed and strained as he started moving, the desperate whisper of her name on his lips. A rough hand stroked the back of her thigh and she wrapped her legs around his hips. There were no soft words. No slow taking. Raw need erupted. Frantic. Primitive. Right on the edge of it, and she was seeing stars. Lips and teeth and hands, and all around her that glorious sensation like drowning for the longest time before gasping air.

They lay together on the wooden floor of Sano's room. Rain had begun to patter outside. Her hands were on Sano's shoulders and she felt each labored breath. A testament: he was as shattered as she. After an eternity, he moved, reached for the futon less than a foot away and pulled both of them on it.

"Close enough to bed anyway," he remarked with a quiet chuckle.

Megumi smiled against his neck. "I hope you didn't run over anyone on our way back. You were driving so fast," she muttered, pressing a kiss along his jaw.

He lifted his head to look at her with an expression of disbelief. "Fast? Lady, you have no idea what you do to me."

She slid her leg along his, mouth curved in a smirk. "Oh, I think I do."

* * *

The next few days were the longest Megumi had ever had. There was a great hustle and bustle as the city prepared for the advent of the three-day autumn festival. Spectators on vacation came in droves. Vehicular traffic became impossible as sidewalks were lined with food stalls, selling a variety of typical Japanese food, fried food and desserts, and a large parking lot had mushroomed with booths made to look like olden Japan.

Being a farming family for generations, the Higashidanis had their own booth where they displayed food and native-grown farm produce for visitors to try out. Sano and his siblings had to take turns at the booth the week running just before the festival. On the night of the bon dance, Megumi came out with friends to see the displays and the fireworks show afterwards. She stopped by the Higashidani booth but Sano was not there. Instead, she found Uki sitting bored behind the counter, watching revelers wandering around.

"Good evening, Uki-san," she greeted with a friendly smile.

Uki was a pretty girl with short hair parted to the side. Although she looked like a female version of Sano, she was rather serious, short-tempered and not prone to humor. "Hello, Megumi-san," she greeted back, returning her smile.

"How's it going?" She asked, placing her hands on the counter. She swept her gaze over the baskets of fruits and vegetables on display.

"Oh, you know," Uki said with a wave of her hand, "boring. Did you watch the bon dance?"

Megumi nodded. They talked for a few minutes about the festivities. For Uki, it was not anything new as their family had been actively participating in it since she was just a child. For Megumi, however, it had been years since she'd observed the festival and found the whole thing quite grandiose compared to her memories of it.

"Oh, there's my brother," Uki uttered, looking behind Megumi, who turned at the comment.

Sano was standing a few meters away, chatting with a young woman who looked familiar. They were interrupted by the arrival of a man who spoke a few terse words before moving on with the young woman in tow. Sano stood there for a moment, his posture completely relaxed. Then he turned and started walking towards the booth with his long strides, hands shoved in his pockets. As he came closer, his gaze fell on Megumi and he grinned in obvious pleasure.

"Hi," he drawled, stopping in front of her.

"Hi," she said casually through the thrumming in her chest.

"Brother, can I go see the fireworks show?" Uki asked.

"No. It's your turn to watch the booth," he answered without taking his eyes off Megumi. Keeping his voice low so only she could hear, he flattered her, "You look good enough to make hearts stop."

Behind her, Megumi could hear Uki sighing in frustration. She quirked her brows and suggested to Sano, "I think we can see the fireworks from here."

Sano frowned, clearly not pleased by Megumi's newfound solidarity with his sister. After a moment though, he relented and turned to Uki, saying, "Takeguchi-obaasan will be here soon with Outa. You two can go while she watches the booth."

"That was good of you," Megumi said some time later as they made their way to the castle grounds for the fireworks display. They entered through an arbor, following a line of stone steps that led to an open area where the crowd of spectators were already gathering.

Instead of answering, Sano just grabbed her hand and tugged her into the shadows with him. There, hidden from sight, he grinned down at her as he leaned forward to capture her mouth in a soft kiss. Megumi parted her lips automatically, molding her lips to his. She'd longed for this all week. His kisses always caused a buzzing in her head and she held on to his shoulders for support as the kiss went on and on.

When Sano finally lifted his mouth, Megumi felt faint. She opened her eyes and saw his glinting in the shadows as he murmured, "I think the evening just got better."

"So who was that girl?" She asked as they continued their way to the open ground.

"What girl?"

"She looked like the shop assistant from the other day."

His expression lightened. "Oh, you mean Sayo-chan?"

The honorific did not escape her. "Does she like you or something?" She casually brushed a piece of lint from her dress. When she looked up at Sano, he was wearing a shit-eating grin on his face.

"Are you jealous?"

She scoffed. "Why would I be?"

"Oh, you know," he provided, shrugging. "She's nice enough. Sweet enough." She could hear the barest snicker in his voice as he continued, "And pretty. Really, really pretty."

"Sounds like a good girl," she said, casting him a wicked glance as she added, "Now tell me about her brother."

Sano looked shocked for a moment before erupting into laughter.

The fireworks show lasted for an hour and a half. Sano and Megumi stayed only for the first thirty minutes before deciding to cut back to the parking lot, preferring to savor each other's company away from prying eyes. They sat on the cargo bed of Sano's pickup, Megumi's back pressed to Sano's chest, his legs on either side of her.

Megumi had already told him that right after the festival, she would be going back to Tokyo. Sano didn't say anything about going after her. And why would he? He finally had things going for him here. But he swept her hair aside and kissed the center of her nape, inhaling her scent. And Megumi felt like a car had stopped and parked right on top of her chest.

* * *

 _TBC_

* * *

 **AN** LIMERENCE -

the state of being infatuated or obsessed with another person, typically experienced involuntarily and characterized by a strong desire for reciprocation of one's feelings but not primarily for a sexual relationship.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chasing Lights: Anatomy of a Romance**

 _by lawless_

* * *

Captivation.

* * *

At quarter past ten in the evening, they all loaded into Sano's pickup. Megumi sat in the front with Sano while Uki, Outa and Mariko-obaasan squeezed into the backseat. Tired but still buzzing from excitement, they chattered on as Sano pulled out of the parking lot and joined the queue for the exit.

"Are you coming with us tomorrow, too, Megumi?" Outa asked. They were talking about returning the next day to dismantle the booth and get the rest of their things.

"You have school tomorrow," Sano reminded his younger brother before Megumi could answer. "You both do."

"I don't," Uki replied smugly. "Ichiwara-sensei gave us a special pass to help with the park clean-up."

"Why do _you_ get to have a holiday while I'm stuck in stupid class?" The question of Megumi's attendance tomorrow was already forgotten, edged off by regular sibling rivalry.

"It's not a holiday, idiot."

"You're the idiot!"

"No, idiot."

"Idiot!"

Megumi glanced at Sano.

He was grinning at her, eyes twinkling. "Uki," he called, "since you don't have class tomorrow, you can help Mariko-obaasan and the boys take down the booth."

Outrage exploded. "What?"

Outa couldn't stifle his laugh, which earned him a punch on the arm. "Ow!"

"Why me? Why do I have to?" Uki continued. "What about you?"

"I'm busy tomorrow."

Uki made more outraged noises while Outa tried very, very hard to hide his self-satisfied giggles. "What's so important that you can't help with the clean up?"

"It's none of your business," Sano growled.

"But this is so unfair!"

"Brother and Megumi have a date tomorrow!" Outa piped up.

"So what?"

"Oi, oi, watch it, you brat!" Sano warned, sensing more squabbling from the backseat. Mariko-obaasan tried to shush them to no avail.

Megumi bit her lip to keep from smirking as she looked out the window. The siblings' verbal scuffle continued all the way until they arrived at her parents' house. Sano stopped the engine. He got down and offered to walk Megumi to the door, earning more sniggering comments from the kids.

"Sorry about that," Sano said when they were out of earshot.

"It's fine." Her heart had been swelling all night, it seemed. She looked up at Sano and though she could barely see his features in the shadow, she knew he was smiling with faint embarrassment. "I think I understand now how my older brother must have felt," she said.

"Were you super annoying?"

She frowned. "I was super cute."

"And super annoying." Sano chuckled.

They reached the threshold of the house. The light from the porch had been turned off so, apart from the moonglow, it was dark all around. They stopped, and Megumi waited.

"Nice, isn't it?" Sano began.

"Yes." There was a beat, during which neither of them had spoken a word. When the silence stretched, Megumi started to turn until a warm hand cupped her elbow.

"Hey, come here for a second." He slid his hand down her arm, grasping her wrist and giving it a gentle tug. He leaned down just as Megumi inclined her head. The kiss was short and sweet. When they parted, Sano whispered, "I want to see you."

Megumi's eyes fluttered open. Sano was staring down at her, his eyes so dark they were almost black. They were searching her face. Something in those brown depths made her breath hitch and her chest throb inwardly. "Yes," she said without thinking. Tokyo was only four hours away. How hard could it be? He could visit in the weekends. Or she could come home more often. Her parents would be glad to be seeing their youngest child more frequently.

Sano squeezed her hand, then cleared his throat. "Uh, what time is your train tomorrow?"

"I'm taking one of the overnight buses." Megumi was filled with a strange elation. She had the nightshift upon her return to work. She figured if she took the sleeper bus, she'd arrive in Tokyo during the day and spend it resting before going to work that evening.

"Do you have somewhere to be before going to the station?"

Megumi shook her head. "I thought I'd…" her voice trailed off when she realized what she wanted to say. She'd imagined she would spend the entire day with him, and told him so.

Sano grinned as he started walking backwards, hands shoved deep in his pockets. "I'll come by early," he said, turned around, and sprinted back to his truck.

The next morning found Megumi waking up late again. It was becoming a bad habit. She yawned and stretched, turning and coming to rest on her back. She stared blankly at the familiar yet unfamiliar ceiling of her old bedroom. Faint streams of autumn sunlight filtered through the thick drapery, revealing dust motes suspended in the stale air. Outside, she could hear voices of people.

None of them saw Megumi come wandering into the patio, yawning and rubbing her eyes. Breakfast was laid out on the table and her father was at his papers as usual. What was unusual however was the guest moseying about in the garden with her mother.

Megumi stopped. Stared.

Ryusei finally noticed her and folded the top of his newspaper. "Oh, good morning, _kitsune-chan_. Come have some breakfast." His voice sounded suspiciously chipper.

"Uhm," Megumi only said.

"The _oyakodon_ is delicious. And it's still warm."

"Dad, we have a guest?"

"What? What are you talking about?"

In exasperation, Megumi gestured towards the end of the garden where Sano and her mom were crouched behind some rose bushes, out of earshot.

Ryusei followed Megumi's gaze, affected surprise, then nodded vigorously. "Oh, you mean Higashidani's boy!"

Megumi pulled up a chair and sat down. Sometimes she forgot how many people her father knew in town. It went with being a family doctor, she figured. He must have seen to Sano's father at some point, just as he had done with many of her friends' parents.

"Yes, yes, don't worry about the young man. He's had breakfast," he said. " _Mou_ , can that one eat! Cleaned the bowl right off. Your mother is very flattered. He also seems to know a thing or two about gardening. So now she's recruited him to help her with her flowers and plants."

Megumi reached for one of the covered bowls and grabbed a fresh pair of chopsticks from the rack. The initial surprise of seeing Sano in her mother's garden had settled down, replaced by the embarrassing knowledge that her boyfriend had shared breakfast with her parents before she even introduced them properly. She wondered if her parents already figured it out. Her father certainly seemed to be on to something as he carefully folded his newspaper, set it aside and regarded Megumi behind his reading glasses.

"Megumi-chan," he began, "this young man better be who I think he is, or I'll have reason to be jealous." He leaned forward at the same time he lowered his voice. "Mom is way too happy to have him around."

Megumi nearly choked on her coffee.

"Now, now, Dad, don't be such a grouch," an amused Takani Emi said from behind them.

Sano was tailing her, his gaze searching and then finding Megumi's. The redness that crept up his throat was almost her undoing. She was still laughing at his expense when he sat down next to her.

"You said it yourself," Takani Emi continued, smiling lovingly at her husband, "when it comes to gardening, you're just a total _baka_."

This earned a roll of the eyes and a harrumph from the good doctor.

"Sanosuke-san suggested just now to make an edible garden right at that spot. That way, the seeds will germinate under the snow during the winter and will start to sprout in spring. I thought, what a great idea! Don't you think so, Megumi-chan?"

Megumi nodded, trying her best to hide a snicker.

"I'll bring over some seedlings," Sano offered while he discretely elbowed Megumi's side.

"What a polite and helpful young man," Megumi said later, mimicking her mom and then laughing at Sano's sheepish face.

In retaliation, he good-naturedly grabbed a bunch of her hair and tugged. Megumi yelped but ended up in fits of giggles as Sano nearly tripped on a mound of packed earth. He reached out wildly and Megumi grasped his hand to steady him. They continued to hold hands as they made their way to his truck. It was a pleasant morning.

* * *

 _TBC_

* * *

 **AN** Oh, hey. I'm still here and this fic is still alive. This community quarantine is really forcing me to finish all heretofore unfinished projects for lack of anything better to do. So yeah, I might update more.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chasing Lights: Anatomy of a Romance**

 _by lawless_

* * *

Pressure.

* * *

 _"The main determinant of arterial pressure is the stretch of the walls of the arteries by the volume they contain. This volume increases in systole because inflow exceeds outflow, then falls after the peak of ejection because outflow exceeds inflow. The outflow is dependent upon the resistance emptying the arterial tree and elastance of the vessel walls. The product of the inverse of elastance (compliance) and the downstream resistance gives the time constant of emptying of the arterial vessels…. Time constants are important in pulsatile systems because they set the amount of filling and emptying of aortic volume that can occur based on the cardiac frequency, the proportions of contraction and relaxation times during systole, and the diastole time…."_

The horn was sounded and Megumi closed the e-book she had been reading on her Kindle. In a few hours, she would arrive in Tokyo. The past couple of weeks had blurred by so fast, time felt shorter. Part of her wanted to stay, rationalizing that without the medical board results yet, her internship at the hospital was essentially voluntary. But she reminded herself that the goal was to get into the hospital's highly selective residency program - a goal she'd been working towards ever since she could remember.

All her life, Megumi had kept a list of boxes she could tick: finish with high honors, go to med school, pass the qualification exams, get medical license, enter residency at a prestigious teaching hospital, pick up a couple of specializations and diplomates along the way, maybe study abroad, be hospital chief one day. But these last two weeks in her hometown had been eye-opening, to say the least.

Her thoughts inevitably drifted towards Sano. With his easy smile and laidback attitude, he seemed to glide through life. A drifter who carved out invisible spaces for himself without thought. She wondered how she could fit him into her plans.

The horn sounded again. This time, Megumi felt the bus move, preparing to leave the station. As the lights of Aizu-wakamatsu rapidly retreated, she looked out the window, pressing her forehead against the cool surface of the glass.

* * *

"Hello? Earth to Megumi," Himari was saying, waving a hand in Megumi's face.

Megumi slapped the hand away.

"Did you hear what I said?"

"I heard you." She did not look up from her cellphone. "My plan hasn't changed. I'm still going for the residency program."

They were at a ramen bar, located on the second floor of an old wooden house just a stone's throw away from the hospital. A favorite among the staff, it was one of the few shops on the block that was open 24 / 7. Tonight, the only patrons were the newly minted doctors celebrating their new status, and a few nightshift nurses who prominently occupied the shallow counter that ran alongside the kitchen.

"Guys, guys, check it out." Kaito was seated at the far end of their table next to an empty seat meant for Kanako, who had stepped out earlier to take a call from her parents. "My ex from high school just texted," he said.

"To say what?" Himari asked.

Kaito was still scrolling on his phone, not listening. "Hm?"

"What'd she say in her text?"

"Oh, she said congrats."

"Eh, boring."

"What else was she supposed to say?"

Megumi ignored the banter and gossip. She was busy replying to the barrage of congratulatory text messages from friends and family. She was waiting for one in particular but he didn't send any. In fact, she hadn't heard from him all day. Not that they were communicative to begin with. She'd been very busy and she supposed he was, too. But there were always at least one or two texts between them. And this moment especially deserved something.

"I hear it's a blood bath," Kaito said, drawing Megumi's attention for a moment.

"What?"

"The residency program. The ratio of applicants to the number of slots available is five to one."

Megumi was surprised. "I didn't know you were gunning for a slot, Kaito-kun."

"Who, me? Nah. My last two brain cells died during rounds with Dr. Takagi this morning."

Megumi couldn't help but chuckle at that. Kaito's humiliation that morning was well known. Dr. Takagi was gaining a reputation among the staff and interns.

"Yeah, Himari's going for it though. As if med school wasn't hard enough."

Megumi turned to Himari, brows arched.

Himari only raised her glass in mock salute. "That's what I've been saying. It's going to be an interesting few weeks for sure."

"Guys," Kanako said, finally returning from her long phone call. She looked harried as she pocketed her phone and gathered her coat. "I've got to get back. One of my patients…." She didn't finish. She took one last glance at her bowl of chewy egg noodles before turning to leave.

The nightshift nurses were likewise filing out. They must have gotten the same page.

As if on cue, all of their phones sounded at the same time.

"Yep, I think we're all being called back." Kaito stood up. "Let's go together."

Four hours later, Megumi finally made it to her apartment building. She was making her way up the stairs, practically sleep-walking and ready to collapse, when she was arrested by the sight of Sano standing on the landing.

"There she is," was his greeting. He was holding a basket of fresh produce in one hand and a pot of white Phalaenopsis in the other. He looked pleased because his plan to surprise her seemed to be working.

Wordless, Megumi took the last step and reached for his shirt. She only heard a thump as the basket dropped and Sano used his free hand to pull her close. His scent engulfed her, a curious mix of cedar and autumn leaves. The embrace was needed. She didn't know how much until this moment.

"I hear congratulations are in order," he murmured in her ear. She stirred but didn't budge from his arms. He kissed her temple and grinned when she finally looked up. "Hey," he said, smiling into her eyes.

"Hey." She smiled back, her heart in her throat.

"You missed me, didn't you?"

"….A little."

"I brought you some stuff." He gestured at his basket and showed her the orchid in a pot. "For your desk at work."

"Thanks." She stepped back and reached for her keys in her bag. "I don't really get a desk at work. But I know just the place for it." She opened the door and went inside.

Sano followed, heading straight for the fridge to put the vegetables in. While he was busy, Megumi took off her shoes and crossed the room to put the orchid pot on the window sill.

"I was going to ask," Sano said from behind the fridge, "are you up for dinner with the gang tomorrow night?"

"Hmm, Kaoru's text?" Megumi removed her scarf, folded it and placed it on top of a corner table. She took off her coat and hung it on a hook behind the door, and then she lay down on the couch.

"What do you think?"

"Hmm." She wasn't really up for going out. She wanted to stay in and savor this moment. She didn't want any intrusions.

Sano moved closer. "Is work alright? You look pretty beat."

"Three shifts on overnights will do that to you."

"Want me to heat up the bath?" He didn't wait for her answer and just proceeded to the bathroom.

Megumi had her eyes closed but she could hear him humming some tune as he turned the light on and ran the water. She settled deeper into the couch and allowed tense muscles to relax. Knowing Sano was there was comforting somehow. She wanted to talk to him but god, she was tired. She thought she'd just rest for a bit and then get up to take that warm, inviting bath…. She went straight to REM sleep and only woke up at Sano's gentle shaking.

"What time is it?" She asked, stretching her limbs and yawning. So, it wasn't a dream after all. Sano was here, in Tokyo, in her apartment. She stared at him. He looked so good.

"It's noon. You've been asleep for hours."

"Oh my god." She sat up. "I'm so sorry. The bath."

He chuckled. "You are adorable."

The unexpected compliment made her realize that she must look a fright. She was still wearing her clothes from work. She hadn't washed her face or brushed her hair. Granted, Sano had seen her looking worse but it was the first time they'd seen each other in a while. She'd imagined a totally different scenario. "I look like hell. You can say it," she said.

Sano just grinned and said that he was making lunch. So, while he did, Megumi went to take a hot shower, changed her clothes and put a little bit of lipstick on. By the time she finished, Sano was already setting up the table near the window. She saw that he pan-fried the salted salmon she kept in her fridge and made spinach _ohitashi_ and watercress, daikon and cherry tomato salad. The smell made her mouth water.

Sano was in the middle of scooping rice into two separate bowls when he happened to glance up and stopped. "Wow," he only said.

Megumi smirked, almost preening at his reaction. She walked over to the table and pulled up a chair. "I think I can get used to this."

"Get used to what?" Sano asked, passing her the container for the chopsticks.

"You, serving me hand and foot."

"Kinky."

She laughed. She felt light. The exhaustion from the previous day was gone. The fact that she passed the board exams was just sinking in. She was a doctor now. A real doctor. She looked at Sano sitting across from her, watched him pour too much soy sauce in his rice, and she felt how glad she was to have him there, how perfect.

Sano looked up, catching her staring. He smiled, then winked, causing her to take a piece of watercress and flick it at him. He flapped his mouth in shock and laughed.

"How long are you here for?" She asked some time later. She was gathering the dishes and placing them on the sink. Sano had moved on to the couch with a can of beer.

"Until Sunday," he answered.

"Got any plans?"

"Other than dinner with the gang?"

"Yes." She almost forgot about Kaoru's invite. The get-together tomorrow night was to celebrate Megumi's triumph. It would also be the first time she and Sano would be out together as a couple to their friends. She was certain there would be teasing but she was prepared for it. "What do you want to do for tonight?" She asked him.

"I'm open to suggestions."

She put the last of the plates in the dish rack and wiped her hands with a clean rag. When she turned around, she saw that Sano was watching her from the couch. "What?" She questioned expectantly.

Grinning, he stood up and strode forward. He stopped in front of her, hands reaching for her waist, pulling her closer. "Can I make a suggestion?" He asked lowly, one hand moving up to cup her chin.

"Hmm-hmm." Her heart was doing that fast tap-tapping. A familiar rhythm by now.

"Are real doctors allowed to play doctor?"

Megumi didn't answer right away. Instead she ran her hands over his arms, allowing them to rest on his shoulders, just at the base of his neck, her thumb pressed against the quickening point of his pulse. She brought her mouth close to his and asked, "Is that a question or a suggestion?"

* * *

 _TBC_

* * *

 **AN** ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)


	11. Chapter 11

**Chasing Lights: Anatomy of a Romance**

 _by lawless_

* * *

Compliance.

* * *

Sano…was really good with his tongue. Megumi moaned softly, eyes closed tight, fingers gripping the sheets. His hand reached up to caress a breast, teasing the hard nipple, while he continued to lick her. The sight of his dark head between her thighs was almost enough to send her to the edge, and she gasped, " _Sano, please._ "

They'd been at this for thirty minutes, maybe more. She'd lost all sense of time. She already came twice and Sano seemed determined to make her come a third time. He looked up at her without stopping, giving his tongue a little swirl, making her groan in lust. His hands circled her waist, tugging her closer to give him more access as he drew her into his mouth, sucking softly at first and then with more pressure.

Megumi was in clouds, lost. She reached down blindly, fingers running through his hair damp with sweat, unable to control the whimpers coming out of her mouth. Her hips rolled without her bidding and jerked when Sano found a particularly sensitive spot with precision. _"Oh god, don't stop, don't stop –"_

Megumi couldn't cover her mouth fast enough to stifle a cry as her whole body lit up and erupted in pleasure. Her mind went blank.

When she came down from her high, Sano was there, lying on his side, one hand holding his head, the other tracing lazy circles on her stomach. "Oh my god," she said, exhilarated. Her heart had not settled yet, still beating a bruise against her ribcage.

Sano grinned. He cupped her cheek and leaned down to kiss her lips, and Megumi could taste herself on him. The eroticism lit her up again even though she'd just practically burned not even a minute ago. She returned the kiss passionately, making no bones about what she wanted now, again, always.

Sano was soon on his back, Megumi straddling him, her hands stroking the muscles on his chest and stomach. He groaned when she kissed the base of his throat and licked the heated skin over his pulse point. _"Megumi,_ " he murmured, fingers tracing the ridges of her spine. " _I don't think I can hold out for long,"_ he said warningly, almost regretfully.

Megumi smiled softly as she rose up and guided him to her. Sano clenched his jaws, gaze dark with passion. An angry vein was visible along the left side of his temple. She lightly scratched his chest and watched him tense up, breath drawn.

" _Fuck,_ " he mouthed, his eyes closing. His hands, resting heavily on top of her thighs, gripped and pulled at her even as his hips jerked under her, making known his intentions.

Megumi bore down on him, rolling her hips to match his jolting movements. Sano held her waist, pulling her as he thrust up until their rhythms matched and their joint pleasure intensified. Megumi fell against his chest, grasping the pillow on either side of his head. Their mouths connected, parted and joined again, hands seeking each other, fingers lacing together and they rose to their highest peak and fell crashing against each other.

"Am I dead?" Sano asked when he could finally speak. "I think I'm dead. I can't move."

Megumi knew the feeling. She wanted a nap, but her stomach rumbled a protest. A moment later, she heard another rumble and this time it wasn't hers. She chuckled and rose from the bed. "I'll fix us something to eat."

She slipped on an old university t-shirt and glanced at the wall clock. Her cellphone charging from an outlet in the kitchen was blinking, indicating unread messages and emails. She picked it up and made a beeline for the fridge where she made sandwiches from cold slices of ham, cheese and a piece of lettuce. She put both on a plate and grabbed two bottles of water.

When she came back to her room, Sano was still lying in bed, one leg poking out from under the blanket. He stirred when she sat next to him, checking her phone while nibbling on a sandwich.

"Is that work?" Sano asked, accepting from Megumi the bottle of water he was trying to reach.

"Hmm. There's a few from Kaoru." She gave him a sandwich.

Sano sat up, taking a huge bite of his snack. There was a beat as he chewed thoughtfully, and then he said, "Got a few errands to run."

Megumi hit the 'reply' button before putting her phone down. She turned to Sano. "Okay. Do you need to do them now?" Sano shrugged, started to say something but Megumi continued, "Because I've got to go to the hospital for a spell."

"Oh."

Megumi was finishing her sandwich.

"I thought you don't have work today."

"I don't… I'll just be gone maybe a couple of hours," Megumi quickly calculated. "I'll explain later. But," here, she paused, the corners of her lips lifting in a smirk, "what do you say to a nice, quiet dinner at a restaurant tonight?"

"I'll never say no to a free dinner, _senpai_ , you know that."

"Great!" She swooped down to give him a full kiss on the mouth before rising to make her way to the bathroom, leaving him with an idiotic grin on his face.

* * *

Megumi glanced at the clock again. It can't be 6:00 p.m. already. That meant she'd been there for well over an hour. And judging from the number of interview applicants in the reception area outside Dr. Oguni's office, it looked like she might be there for another half hour. She had not seen Himari among the hopefuls but a text from said friend told her that her interview was scheduled tomorrow and that she, too, received the invite that same afternoon.

 _'At least you got a heads up,'_ she typed and sent it to Himari.

Her phone vibrated, signaling an incoming text. It was Sano.

 _'Are you in the mood for_ tonkatsu _? A friend of mine told me about a nice place in Chiyoda."_

 _'Are you in Chiyoda?'_

 _'Yep. I can reserve us seats. Are you still at the hospital?'_

 _'Yes.'_

 _'When are you gonna be done?'_

Megumi paused. She checked the time, then looked around her. Apart from the tap-tapping sound of Akeno-san, Dr. Oguni's secretary, typing away at her computer, it was very quiet. The other applicants sat there, minding their own business. She recognized some of them, of course, but they weren't a chatty bunch. Just then, the door to Dr. Oguni's office opened to let an applicant out. Megumi smiled politely at Tanaka Inoue who had been in her first-year med school class. Inoue nodded back.

"Takani Megumi- _sensei_?" Akeno-san said.

"Yes."

Akeno-san bobbed her head to indicate that she was next. Megumi gathered her things and stood up.

* * *

"Sano, I'm so sorry," Megumi said, bowing in apology, when she reached their table. "I wanted to text you. I lost track of time. I didn't think the interview was going to take that long -"

"Interview?" Sano asked. He had stood up when she arrived, pulling a chair for her. He didn't seem particularly irked that she was almost half an hour late for their dinner and, if he had been annoyed in the beginning, it was all gone now. He returned her smile, a smile that widened in genuine pleasure for her as she told him the news of her acceptance into the residency program.

"I'm to shadow Dr. Takagi as part of my training," Megumi continued, scanning the electronic menu on a tab. "She's tough but great at what she does. I'm going to learn a lot from her."

"That's great, Megumi. We should celebrate."

"This really means a lot to me, Sano."

A waitress approached, asking if they're ready. They gave their orders and handed back the tabs to her. When she left, Sano said quietly, "I'm glad for you."

Megumi caught his gaze, saw the sincerity there and felt her chest grow warm. He was so good to her. He had always been good to her, she realized in hindsight. She'd have to find a way to make it up to him.

* * *

 _TBC_

* * *

 **AN** This was rather quick. Got a lot of free time these days and I'm bored binging Netflix shows. Thank you for staying with this fic even though it's been almost 2 years since I first put this fic up and a year since I last updated it. Special thanks to my loyal reviewers. You guys know who you are. Know that I mostly write for you. I mean, I write for myself but it's nice to know there are people out there who appreciate this story and this couple. I hope you enjoyed this smutty update lol I'll be starting the next chapter soon.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chasing Lights: Anatomy of a Romance**

 _by lawless_

* * *

Resistance.

* * *

Megumi was putting the dishes in the rack to dry when Kaoru came in with the rest of the bottle of wine for dinner. Megumi glanced at it and then at Kaoru, slanting a brow in question. "Plying me with more wine?"

Kaoru grinned as she grabbed a couple of clean glasses and poured. "We're celebrating."

Megumi accepted the drink. "Uhuh."

"For finally getting that M.D. and that residency." Kaoru raised her glass and clinked it against Megumi's. "Sano," she said meaningfully before taking a casual sip.

Megumi just looked at her in amusement. It wasn't too long ago that Kaoru sat across from her at a café, asking if she and Sano were dating. The irony wasn't lost on her.

"Called it."

"You sound very pleased with yourself." Megumi drank half her glass of wine.

Kaoru was watching her. She'd been doing that surreptitiously all through dinner. "I was beginning to think it would never happen," she said, swirling her drink. At Megumi's arched brow, she explained, "You two pretend you can't stand each other. But you get along more than you like to admit."

"Well," Megumi said, taking another drink, "things have a funny way of working out."

"I'm glad." Kaoru put down her glass, still full, and watched as Megumi finished her drink quickly. "So, who made the first move?"

Megumi let out a scoffing laugh. "As if I'd tell you anything." There was some heat on her cheeks but she thought that could be attributed to the alcohol.

"Come on," Kaoru pressed. "I need details. Like, I know it must have happened while you were in Aizu."

Megumi chuckled, shaking her head. "What does it matter?"

"Good point." Kaoru narrowed her eyes at her then said, "As long as you're happy."

Megumi just smiled as she turned on the faucet and put her glass under the tap.

* * *

Kaoru's statement stayed with her as she and Sano took the short walk from the Himuras to the train station. Sano was ambling slightly ahead, hands in his pockets, his strides long. Megumi kept up but cursed the heels she had decided to wear for the occasion. She was looking for her cellphone in her purse and nearly ran into a lamppost when a hand lightly stirred her to safety. She looked up, surprised, only to find Sano grinning at her in amusement.

"It's these damned heels," she said sheepishly.

"Sure it wasn't the wine?"

"I'm not drunk on two glasses of wine, Sano," she said. "I'm not a lightweight."

Sano laughed as he fell into step beside her. There were other people walking down the street, but not by much. With winter bearing down on them, it was a little too cold for late-night walks.

Megumi continued to fidget with her phone, seeing a message from Himari asking how her interview went. She typed a quick reply: _'great. talk to you about it later'_ before tucking the phone away. Then, she drew closer to Sano, shivering slightly.

"Cold?" He asked. At her nod, he urged her to put her hands in his coat pocket. "It looks like this is going to be one brutal winter," he said after a while.

Megumi inclined her head slightly. "I've been meaning to ask, how's the farm?"

"It's good. Just stockpiling for the winter for now." He ran his fingers through his hair and continued, "After that's finished, we start with the renovations on the house. Do some repairs on the old stable. Some of the wood and the thatch have rotted so they need to be replaced."

"Are you getting any help?" She remembered Sano mentioning to her about the shortage of labor in their hometown, particularly farmhands, and that neighbors often had to rely on each other if they needed help.

"I've hired an extra pair of hands," he answered. "Can't really expect old Akiyama-san to climb two storeys and help me fix the roof."

"Sounds like you'll have a very busy winter."

"Not like I have anything better to do." Sano gave her a sideward glance then. "What about you?"

"What about what?" She lightly teased.

Sano grinned faintly but his tone was serious when he said, "I'm not sure but I think the hours of a medical resident are pretty hectic."

The pause in her steps was barely perceptible. "It is," she said tentatively. Sano kept quiet as though waiting for her to continue. So, she took a big breath and said, "Sano, being a resident means my hours are going to be longer. Longer than they are now, if you believe it."

"Okay," he said after some length.

"I…may not be able to go home during weekends."

"That's okay. I can come visit."

"Or see you every time you come." At his look, she explained, "I'm expected to log at least eighty hours a week. I'll most certainly be working more than that."

"That's okay, too. I can wait for you to get off."

"Why," she said with an incredulous sigh, almost amused by his offhand reaction, "are you taking this so well?"

"Because I like you, Megumi," he said matter-of-factly, flashing her a white smile. "And I want to see where this is going."

* * *

That night, Megumi awoke to something tickling her face, and a warm, solid weight on her chest. She opened her eyes to the sight of Sano's hair, tousled and wild from their lovemaking a few hours ago. He had been…thorough, almost single-minded in his approach, using his body to drive her to distraction. Lying on her side now, Megumi drew her head back a little to find that Sano was still asleep and was just instinctively drawing her closer, perhaps because she had been trembling from the cold. She pulled the blanket up over both of them, and then snaked an arm around his waist. Sleep returned as soon as she closed her eyes.

* * *

When Megumi woke up again, Sano was already awake, lying on his back, fiddling with his lighter, an unlit cigarette dangling from his lips. He did not bother with clothes yet and the light fell on his lean physique in interesting ways. "What time is it?" She managed to ask.

Sano looked at her. "It's just past nine o' clock."

"Oh." Megumi rolled onto her back and stretched, not missing the way Sano stared as the covers got displaced. "Are you hungry? I can make us some breakfast."

"No, I'm fine for now." Sano put away his lighter and unlit cigarette on the nightstand.

Megumi followed his movement, raising an eyebrow in an unspoken question as their gazes met.

Sano shrugged and said, "Thought I'd try quitting, too."

She smiled. "What time is your train?" She asked as she got off the bed and looked around for her clothes. She found a t-shirt curled on the floor near her feet and put it on.

"I can take the last one," he said with a shrug. "What do you usually do on Sundays?"

"If I'm not working, I do some shopping, groceries, get on the treadmill, eat out, watch a _taiga_ drama or a Netflix movie."

"In that order?"

She heard the irony in his voice and smirked while she searched in her drawer for a hair tie. She found a clip instead. After running a brush through her hair a few times, she pulled it back into a bun and clipped it in place. Meanwhile, Sano slid into his jeans, pulled the zipper up but left the button undone as he looked around for his t-shirt. He stopped when he finally noticed what she was wearing.

"Oh, did you want this?" Megumi fingered the bottom edge of the shirt which fell just above her knees.

Sano shook his head as he walked over to her slowly. "Keep it," he said. His eyes found hers, warm and light, lips curving into a lopsided grin. "Hell, take all my shirts. I don't look half as good in them as you do."

Megumi let out a giddy half-laugh, blushing deeply and causing Sano's grin to grow wider. "I'm going to make coffee," she announced, stepping back and walking towards the kitchenette. While she busied herself with measuring ground coffee into the filter and filling the glass pot with water she heard Sano take a seat at the table behind her. From the corners of her eyes, she saw that he was watching her. It made her feel self-conscious.

"What are you thinking?" She asked once she finished preparations and turned on the coffeemaker.

"I'm thinking how much I want a cigarette right now."

She cackled. He shot her an injured look but she was without sympathy. "Why are you quitting anyway?" She asked.

"Because it's bad for my health? Are you the doctor here or what?"

"I know so many doctors who smoke like a chimney." The coffee was done. Megumi reached into the cupboard and got two clean mugs. She put them on the counter and poured the contents of the pot into each. Then she brought them to the table, placing one in front of Sano before pulling up a chair and sitting across from him. "It'll be bad for the first few days," she said as she put cream in her coffee, "and then it'll get really, really bad in the next couple of weeks. And then it gets worse."

"Great." He was almost pouting, his brows drawn together. "I'll have something to look forward to."

Megumi found herself staring at his profile. "Your eyebrows are really thick," she muttered under her breath.

"I dread to hear what facial flaw you're going to find next," he told her jokingly.

"On such a face? I don't even know where to start."

"You are the meanest woman I know."

She smirked and reached for his hand, tracing the back of his knuckles with the tip of her index finger. "So? What are you going to do about it?" She softly challenged.

He grinned at her lecherously and said in a tone laced with sarcasm, "Absolutely nothing."

* * *

 _TBC_

* * *

 **AN** Hey, how is everybody doing? I hope you're all okay. This update took a bit of time to form. I wanted to depict them enjoying being together but it's a little harder than I anticipated. It's always tempting to add drama by pulling a sub-plot out of nowhere. This time I'll try to make it just about them and about how they'll navigate through the different challenges of being in a relationship.

Some explanation about the chapter titles of the previous 2 updates:

'Pressure' is about Megumi having apprehensions about being in a relationship with Sano. 'Compliance' is about her not really facing those apprehensions head on and just distracting herself with work and sex.

As for this chapter, it's called 'Resistance' because Megumi is making some attempts to communicate some of those apprehensions with Sano and finding, to her relief, that they're not really problems.

Or are they?

 _Dun-dun-dun._ Stay tuned.


End file.
